Improvement in tunnel-measures



J. J. HILLMAN;

Tunnelv Measure.

No. 39,346. Patented July 28, 1863.

N, pzfzns Pmmmia her. Washlnglon. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. HILLMAN, or BOSTON, MASsAcEUsErrs.

IMPROVEMENT IN TUNNEL-MEASURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,346, dated July 28, 1863; antedated February 29, 1863. a

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HILLMAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and (J0mmonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tunnel- Measures; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal central section representing the valve as closed; Fig. 2, a similar view representing the valve as opened, with its handle and thumb-piece thrown over to the opposite side of the tunnel and Fig. 3 is a topview looking into the tunnel.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the drawings.

The nature of my improvement consists in combining with a hinged valve in the bottom of the tunnel a swinging elastic handle and thumb-piece, so that when the valve is closed it will be pressed upon its seat by means of the elasticity of said handle, and when the valve is open it will be kept from closing by the weight of said handle and thumb-piece, as shown in Fig. 2, the graduations being indicated by means of wires soldered to the inside of the tunnel, so that the height of any liquid in it may be more readily seen by the eye than it is with the grooved graduations in general use for that purpose.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will now describe its construction and operation.

A is a tunnel of the ordinary construct-ion, provided with the usual nozzle, B, and a handle, (J. Soldered in across the bottom of the tunnel is a disk of brass or other suitable metal, d, with a round hole in its center of the diameter of the end of the nozzle.

e is a valve consisting of a metallic case and a packing of leather or other suitable material on the under side. To the top of this valve is soldered the bent wire f, which forms one half of the hinge, the other half being formed by the thin strip of metal 9, soldered to the side of the tunnel, as clearly shown in the drawings.

H is the spring-handle, of steel, brass, or other suitably-elastic metal, the bottom of which is bent, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, and soldered to the top of the valve 0. The handle is also slightly curved, as represented in Fig. 2, so that when the valve is closed, as in Fig. 1, and the top end of the handle is confined by means of the catch J, which is a bent wire soldered to the top of the tunnel, as shown in the drawings, the elasticity of said handle will serve to press the valve tightly over the disk d.

i is a thumb-piece soldered to the top end of the handle H, as represented in the drawin gs.

When the valve is open, and the handle H is thrown over to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, it is obvious that the weight of the handle and its thumb-piece (when the tunnel is erect) will keep the valve from closing, said handle operating both as a spring to press down the valve when shut and a weight to hold it from closing when open.

k 70 (there may be any required number of these) are the measuring-graduations, and consist of wires soldered at the points I, (see Fig. 3,) tothe inner side of the tunnel, the particular advantage of which graduations has been described above.

Thus it will be seen that my improvement constitutes a very simple, cheap, and convenient combination substitute for the separate tunnel and measure in general use. When required as a measure only, the valve should be closed, as in Fig. 1. When required as a tunnel only, the valve should be open, as in Fig. 2. When the article is to be used both as a measure and a tunnel, the liquid is turned into the tunnel with the valve closed, and then (the nozzle being inserted into the jug, bottle, or other vessel, as the case may be) the valve is opened, as in Fig. 2, and the tunnel left to drain.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improvements, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

In combination with the hinged valve 6 at the bottom of the tunnel, the swinging elastic handle H, substantially as described, and for the objects specified.-

JOHN J. HILLMAN.

Witnesses:

N. AMES, J orIN DOWLIKG. 

